Ditching-machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheeti. 0. HUGHES 82; J! S. HULL.

DITGHING MAGHINE.

No. 504,728. Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

lvi i maoo e-o {No Model.) '3 Sheets-Sh'eet 2,

0. HUGHES & J. s. HULL.

DITGHING MAGHINE.

No. 504,728. Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet a.

0. HUGHES 8:; J. S. HULL.

DITOHING MACHINE. N 504,728. Patented Sept. 12, 1898.

79mm eoc e o Mane/13 @%WMMQ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTIS HUGHES, OF VERNON, AND JEREMIAH S. HULL, OF LOCK SPRING,

INDIANA.

DlTCHlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,728, datedSeptember 12, 1893.

Application filed June 6, 1892. Serial No. 435.690. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, OTTIS HUGHES, residing at Vernon, and JEREMIAH S.HULL, residing at Lock Spring, Indiana, citizens of the United States,have invented new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in ditching machines andits object is to provide more efi'ective means whereby the machine willbe traversed in either a direct or a curvilinear path and will he moreeasily controlled while in motion; also, to provide simple means wherebythe digging mechanism will not be subjected to undue stress to break ordistort the parts, as in the case when the digger spade should strike ahard and unyielding substance as a rock embedded in the ground.

To this end our invention consists in the improved construction andarrangement of mechanism hereinafter more fully set forth andparticularly pointed out in the claims of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating our invention similar numbersof reference designate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1. is a sectional side elevation of our machine taken through theline A-B. See Fig. 3. Fig. 2. is a detail view of the pawl mechanism forrotating the winding drums. Fig. 3. is a plan view of the machine. Fig.4. is a perspective View of the shovel and digging bit mechanism. Fig.5. is a transverse sectional elevation of the machine through the linesC, D. See Figs. 1. and 3. Fig. 6. is a transverse sectional elevationthrough the line E, F. See Figs. 1. and 3. Fig. '7. is a transversesectional elevation through the line G. H. See Figs. 1. and 3. Fig. 8.is a detail view of one of the forward removable axles which isremovably secured to the forward runners of the machine when it isrequired to transport it, and Fig. 9. is a detaill view of aportion ofthe rear removable ax e.

The main frame of our machine is composed of the upper and the lowerside sills 1. and 2., the front,intermediate and rear posts 3. 8. and 1.and the front and rear top and bottom cross or distance bars and 6, allof which are firmly bolted and braced together.

On the top sides of the prolonged forward ends of the side sills 2. aresecured the floor beams or joists '7. whereon the operators platform 8.is laid and secured and which supports the motive powerby which themachine is operated.

The movable supporting posts 9 of the forward portion of the frame havetheir bottom ends hinged to their runners 10. in any suitable manner andare loosely clamped in the guide clips 11, wherein they are free toslide vertically and in the direction of their lengths.

On the ends of the forward beam 7. are secured and firmly braced theuprights 12. to which the guide clips 11. are firmly secured.

The worms 13, having the operating cranks ll. the cable-drum securedfirmly to the worm wheel 16 with which said worm meshes, are journaledin suitable bearings firmly secured on the top ends of the uprights 12.by suitable securing bolts or other securing devices.

The cables 17. extend from the drums 15, pass over the pulleys 18.secured on the movable posts 9.,and is secured at its end to suitableengaging hooks 19. secured on the upper guide clips 11. Thus by turningthe cranks 14. the forward portion of the frame of the machine is causedto move on its supporting posts 9. to increase or decrease its distancefrom the ground and to adjust, and perfectly align the machine.

The rear end of the frame of the machine is supported by a single post20. hinged at its bottom end to the runner 21. and is adapted to looselyfit and slide longitudinally in its guide ways formed by the upper andlower distance rails 6. of the main frame.

The cable drum 22. is journaled in suitable bearings 23. firmly securedon the upper rail 6. and to the ends of the longitudinal upper sills 1.and is rotated by a suitable removable crank adapted to fit the squareend of the drum shaft. (not shown) 24:. The cable drum 22. is held fromrotating by means of the ratchet wheel 25 secured thereon and engagingwith its pawl 26.

The cable 27. is secured to the drum 22. at one end and has its oppositeend looped over the retaining book 28. secured on the top end of thepost 20. It is clear, that, by turning the handle of the shaft 2i. towind the cable 27. on its drum 22. the rear end of the frame of themachine will be moved upwardly on its post 20. and by disengaging thepawl 26. to unwind the cable the frame of the machine may be lowered asrequired.

The engine 29. or other suitable motive power for driving the machine isfirmly secured on the operating platform 8. at the front end of theframe and is provided with the driving pulley 30. which transmits motionthrough the driving belt 31. to the driven pulley 32. secured on theshaft 33.

34. designates the winding drums of the traversing cables, mounted onthe ends of the shaft 35. which is journaled in suitable bearingssecured on the uprights 4. of the frame.

To one of the drums 34. is firmly secured, on the inner side thereof,the ratchet wheel 36. which is adapted to engage the retaining pawl 37.and the feed pawl 38, pivoted on the swinging lever 39. The lever 39. ispivoted at one end to the shaft 35. and is bent to a right angle at apoint intermediate between its pivotal point and its free or swingingend which latter is operated or raised by means of the crank pin 40.secured on the disk 41 of the shaft 42. Thus as the lever 39 is raisedits pawl 38 engaging with its ratchet wheel 36 rotates the winding drums34.

To the side of the sill 1. and on the same side with the swinging lever39 is pivoted the throw-out cam or eccentric 43. to which is secured thelever 44 connected to the operating or throw-out lever 45. by theconnecting-rod 46. The lever 45 is pivoted to the side sill 1. and maybe provided with a graduating or notched segment of any suitable kind bywhich the amount of the throw of the swinging lever 39. may beregulated. It will thus be clearly seen that as the lever 44 is movedbackward in the direction of the arrow (see Fig. 2.), the eccentric 43.will be rotated to raise the swinging lever 39 from the crankpin 40. toreduce its swing and consequently diminish the amount of rotation of thewinding drums 34. or to completely throw the lever out of operation whenso desired. By this meansthe amount of traverse of the machine isreadily adjusted and regulated without stopping the machine.

The cables 47. are secured to the clevises 48. removably secured on thefront of the runners 10. passed over the yoke pulleys 49. and the guidepulleys 50. and 51. to the winding drums 34. whereon they are wound.

The yokes 52. to which the pulleys 49. are secured, are firmly andsecurely held by a stake in the ground in advance of the machine and asthe cables 47 are wound up on their winding pulleys 34., to traverse themachine the extent the cables will permit, the cables are unwound fromtheir drums and the stake reset at a distance farther in advance of themachine, either in a right line with its previous positions, or if it isdesired that the machine shall traverse a curvilinear path, the stake isset forward out of the direct line so as to produce the desiredcurvature and this operation is continued as the construction of theditch proceeds.

The shaft 42. is journaled in the bearing 53. secured on the side silll. and the bearing 54 secured on a suitable supporting brace 55. firmlybolted to the side of the top and bottom sills 1. and 2. Said shaft hasits gearwheel 56. mounted thereon and adapted to mesh with its drivingpinion 57. secured on the shaft 33. which latter is journaled insuitable bearings 58. secured on the sills 1. of the frame.

The digging or cutting bit 59. comprises a cross knife 59 and crosscutters 59 secured to the sides of the cross knife and projecting infront thereof, and is firmly secured on the ends of the parallel andvertically reciprocating guide-rods 60. with its face at an angle ofadvance which guide rods slide longitudinally in their guide ways orbearings 61. and 62. which are bolted to the sills 1. and'2. The lowerguide 62. has the lugs 63. formed thereon and adapted to overlap theedges of the intermediate uprights 3. with a liberal allowance of playbetween said lugs and uprights, and are loosely secured by the pins 64.passing through said lugs and uprights, thus retaining said bearings ina fixed position vertically'but permitting a backward or recedingmovement horizontally and in a direction transversely with the motion ofthe guide rods 60.

Eucircling the retaining pin 64 intermediate between the forward lugs63. and the front edge of the uprights 3 are the coiled springs 65. orother suitable resilient material, as rubber, is intervened which areprovided for the purpose of permitting the bearing 62. to yield orrecede to relieve the digging bit 59 from undue or excessive stress whenit contacts with an impenetrable material.

The shovel 66., for raising the earth loosened or broken by the diggingbit 59., is slightly concaved transversely on its upper surface and isalso curved longitudinally, and is securely mounted on the swinging endof the shovel-bar 67. by means of suitable securing clips 68. and 69.which are firmly secured to said shovel blade and handle or bar. Theshovel-bar 67. is pivoted at its top end to the crank pin which issecured on a lug formed integral on or secured to the gear-wheel 56.

To the shovel-bar 67, intermediate between the shovel and the crank endthereof, is pivoted the connecting-rod 71. and the radius rod 72. whichlatter rod is pivoted at its front .end in suitable bearings 7 2.secured to the side sills 2. See Fig. 5.

The oscillating lever 73. has its trunnions 74. journaled in suitablebearings formed in the top boxes 58. and has its rear arm formed of onerigid piece and its opposite forward arm 73 forked or bifurcated toreceive the arm 74. wherein the latter is pivoted and is held inposition therein and in alignment with the rigid arm 73.by the set pin'76 which is preferably of a baser material than that of the lever andmay be made of wood of suitable strength, and will be hereinafter moreparticularly referred to.

To the ends of the arms 73. and 73 are pivoted the top ends of theconnecting-rods 71 and 75. the opposite end of the latter rod beingpivoted to the digging bit 59. intermediate between its guide-rods 60.th us completing the connections between the driving gear, shovel anddigging bit to cause the latter to descend as the former ascends.

The pin 76. is preferably of wood or other yielding material for thepurpose of permitting it to be shorn off when undue stress is applied tothe end of the lever 73 as would be the case when the digging bit wouldmeet with an obstruction which would, were there no provision of thiskind made, break the parts of the mechanism and thereby be a source ofexpense in repairs.

The shovel cleaner or earth ejector 77. has its bottom edge curved toconform with the longitudinal curve of the shovel 66. and is providedwith the guide bars 78 adapted to slide in the guides 79 and theintermediate guide-bar 80. which slides longitudinally in the guides 81.secured on the main frame. By the latter guides the scraper or cleaner77. is maintained in its vertical position throughout its motion acrossthe face of the shovel 66.

The bell-crank lever 82. is pivoted to the intermediate upright 3. ofthe main frame and has its longer depending arm projecting down througha slot formed in the intermediate guide bar 80 of the shovel cleaner(see Fig. 6.) and its shorter horizontal arm extending transverselyacross the path of motion of the swing lever '72. with which itcontacts, at a time when the shovel 66. has almost completed its ascentto cause said shovel cleaner '77 to move across the face of said shovelto remove the earth therefrom to the discharge chute '78 and to theground. The scraper or shovel cleaner 77. is moved baclrwardly to itsnormal position by means of the returning spring 83. surrounding theguide bar 80. and contacting with the retaining collar 84:.

Hinged on the bottom sides of the sills 2. and on each side of theshovel 66. are the earth fenders sr which extend downwardly into theditch and form ashield or fender for retaining the earth on the shovel66. in its ascent to the chute 78, and also retain the earth and preventit from returning into the ditch. The rear fender Set which is removablysecured on the rear ends of the sills 2. by the ways 85. at its top end,and secured at its bottom end by a suitable retaining hook and chain 86.engaging an eye 87. secured on the rear bottom edge of the post 20. saidfender provided for the purpose of preventing the falling earth fromfilling on the tiles before they are adjusted in place and as they arefed into the ditch.

Suspended on the cross-bar 88. of the ferrder 84: is the feed spout 89.which is pro vided for the purpose of conducting the tiles to the bed ofthe ditch and adjusting them therein during the movement of the machinein a forward direction. See Fig. 1.

The molding plow 92. is provided for the purpose of returning the earthinto the ditch made by the machine as the tiles are placed therein, andis provided with the draft braces 90, and 91. which are pivotallysecured, at their forward ends by a bolt or other suitable pivotaldevice, to the rear end of the forward runner 10. The molding plow isalso provided with a runner 93 secured edgewise thereto, which projectsinto the earth, and serves to prevent the vibration or springing of themolding plow while returning the earth into the ditch.

In order that the machine may be guided in a direct straight line weprovide the T- sights 9i. removably secured on the top edges of the sidesills l. thereby setting the ends of the Ts in alignment with a fixedpoint or post and thereby maintaining the path of the machine in adirect straight line.

Any required degree of grade or fall of the ditch is readily obtained byadjusting the inclination of the machine, the Ts 9a. of which aresighted to align with an ordinary survey stake secured in the ground tothe rear of the machine, by means of the worm screw gearing secured onthe ends of the uprights 12. and by which the machine is raised or lowered on its forward end on its supporting posts 9.

\Vhen it is required to transport the machine from place to place weprovide the forward carrying axles 95. removably secured on the forwardrunners 10. of the machine by means of the looped ends 95 of the archbar of the axle 95 wherein the said runners are held by the bolts 95 orother suitable securing device; and the rear removable axle 96.removably secured on the bottom edges of the sills 2. at the rear of theframe by the axle jaws 96. and the removable pin 96 On these axles aremounted suitable carrying wheels whereby th machine is transported fromplace to place by suitable horse-power.

Having thus fully described the nature and operation of ourinvention,what we claim as new and useful, and desire to cover byLetters Patent of the United States therefor, is

1. In a ditching machine, the combination with a vertically adjustableframe, a gearwheel mounted in said frame and having a suitable crankformed thereon, of a shovel bar pivoted on said crank, a radius barpivoted on said shovel beam intermediate between the ends thereof and tothe main frame, a vertically moving digging bit, an oscillating leverconnecting said shovel and digging bit and means for rotating saidgear-wheel, substantially as set forth.

In a ditching machine, the combination with the shovel and thevertically moving digging hit, thereof arranged and connected on amovable frame as described, of an oscillating beam having one of itsends bifurcated and a lever pivoted in said bifurcation, a set-pin of abaser material than that of the lever passing through said bifurcationsof said oscillating lever and pivotal lever, substantially as set forth.

3. In a ditching machine, the combination with the vertically adjustableand portable frame thereof, of a gear-crank wheel mounted in said frame,a shovel-beam pivoted on the crank of said gear-wheel, a digging bitrigidly secured e11 vertically moving side rods, guideways wherein saidrods move, an oscillating lever having a bifurcated arm, a lever pivotedin said bifurcated end of lever, and a set-pin of a baser material thanthe lever passing through said bifurcations of the oscillating lever andsaid pivotal lever intermediate between the ends thereof, suitable rodspivoted to said shovel digging bit, and oscillating lever and means forimparting motion thereto, substantially, as and for the purpose setforth.

at. In a digging machine, the combination with a vertically adjustableand portable frame, of a gear crank-wheel mounted on said frame, ashovel beam pivoted on said crank havinga concave shovel mounted on itslower swinging end, a shovel cleaner adapted to move across the face ofsaid shovel, a diggingbit secured on vertically moving side rods, upperrigid and lower horizontally yielding guide-ways wherein said guide rodsslide vertically, an oscillating lever having a yielding arm, suitablerods connecting said oscillating lever, digging-bit and shovel, andmeans for operating the same, substantially as set forth.

5. In a ditching machine the combination with a vertically movingdigging bit having parallel side sliding rods, to which said digging bitis loosely connected guides wherein said rods slide longitudinally, anoscillating lever and suitable means for connecting, and impartingmotion to said oscillating lever and digging bit, substantially as setforth.

6. In a ditching machine the combination with a vertically movingdigging bit having parallel vertically-sliding side rods securedthereto, guides wherein said rods slide longitudinally, an oscillatinglever having a fixed and a bifurcated arm, a lever pivoted in saidbifurcations, a set pin passing through said bifurcation and pivotallever, and suitable means for driving and a frame for supporting themechanism, substantially as set forth.

7. In a ditching machine, the combination with a vertically. movingdigging bit comprising a cross knife, cross cutter secured on andprojecting in front of said knife, and parallel vertically sliding siderods to which said bit is secured with its face at an angle of advance,substantially as set forth.

8. In a ditching machine the combination with a vertically movingdigging bit comprising a cross knife, side cutters projecting in frontof .the face of and secured on the sides of said cross knife, parallelside rods rigidly secured on said bit, upper rigid and lower yieldingguide ways wherein said guide rods slide, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

9. In a ditching machine the combination with a vertically movingdigging bit, and its side rods of an upper fixed and a lower yieldingguide way wherein said rods slide substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

10. In a digging machine the combination with a vertically movingdigging knife, having vertically projecting side rods, yielding recedingguide-ways wherein said rods slide longitudinally, substantially as setforth.

11. In a digging machine the combination with a vertically movingdigging knife, having vertically projecting guide rods, horizontallyyielding guide-ways secured on the frame of the machine, an oscillatinglever having a bifurcated arm, a lever-arm pivoted in said bifurcations,a pin of a baser material passing through said bifurcations and pivotallever, a rod pivoted to said pivotal lever and digging bit, and suitablemeans for operating said lever and digging bit, substantially as setforth.

12. In a ditching machine the combination with a portable frame and awinding drum mounted on said frame, a rocking pawl lever and itsoperating crank disk, of a rocking lever throw-out cam pivoted on saidframe and whereby the fall of the said rocking lever is adjusted,substantially as set forth.

13. In a ditching machine the combination with a vertically adjustableframe mounted on runners, winding drums mounted on the sides of saidframe, of an equalizing beam secured to the ground at a point in advanceof the machine, return pulleys secured on the ends of said beam, andsuitable cables extending from said winding drums round said returnpulleys, and to said runners, substantially as set forth.

14. In a ditching machine the combination of a portable frame, thevertically moving shovel, the shields hinged on the frame on each sideof the shovel, a rear shield secured on the end of the frame and to therear of said shovel, and a tile conducting spout suspended to said rearshield, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

15. In a ditching machine, the combination of a portable frame, a wheelmounted to revolve thereon, means for' driving the wheel, a shovel barpivoted on said wheel, and a radius rod pivotally connected to said barand to the frame, a winding drum, and an operative connection betweensaid winding drum and the shaft of said wheel, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

O'lTIS HUGHES. JEREMIAH S. HULL.

lVitnesses:

ULYSSUS B. HILL, MATHIAs DITLINGER.

